Tested Immortality
by randomobsession123
Summary: "Why-why are you doing this?" "Do you know what people would pay to be immortal?"
1. Chapter 1

**CIAO! It's not like I'm Italian or anything DX…. ** ** Anywhozit, this is my first Hetalia story and I hope for it to be a success. I'm not perfect on the characters and I may interpret them differently than you do. So in other words….don't like? Then don't read! ENJOY!**

**Disclaimer: Yes! I own it! *smacked upside the head* okay, so maybe I don't…**

"_What exactly are we doing?"_

"_Spying. Immortals. Said to be nations. Immortal beings." A file was tossed._

_Fingers shuffled through the papers. "Seems interesting enough." Eyes looked over the bush. "Who's this one?"_

"_Gilbert Beilschmidt. Claims to be Prussia."_

_There was a pause. _"_That's not a country anymore."_

_Lips tugged into a smile. "He's still here. And hasn't aged. He's perfect."_

* * *

**GERMANY'S POV**

"West! Wait up!" Prussia yelled, running down the hall towards his brother, attempting to get to the elevator before it closed.

Germany sighed inwardly. He loves his brother, he really does. But what he didn't understand why he insisted on coming to meetings with him. It's not like he had politics or an economy to worry about. Still, he held the door open for him.

"Thanks." Prussia said, stepping inside.

"You're welcome." Germany said. Prussia wasn't even properly dressed for a meeting. He simply wore a t-shirt that said 'MOFO, I'm Awesome!' black jeans, and a pair of red converse. Germany sighed again. The elevator ride was silent as Germany made his observations. A _ding_ sounded, signaling the end of the trip. The two walked into the meeting room, Prussia exclaiming how awesome he is. Yep, it's a completely normal day.

**PRUSSIA'S POV**

Twenty minutes later, Prussia found himself outside the oak doors of the meeting room, muttering about English people not knowing how to take a joke. Pulling out his wallet, he walked up to a vending machine. Grabbing the bag of chips that fell from the glass box, he walked outside.

Going in no particular direction, the building the meeting was being held in, soon went out of sight. He sighed; uncharacteristically distressed. A flicker of sadness passed his features, thinking about what England had said as he ran him out of the room. He knew full well he wasn't exactly a country anymore. Shit, he hasn't been for a while. But is the only insult England can come up with?

He shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it anymore. He's the awesome Prussia! And he could take anything that was thrown at him. _I'm awesome, I'm awesome, I'm awesome, I'm –_ his thought train was derailed when a cloth was clasped over his nose and mouth. _What the fuck_?_!_ He thrashed, blindingly punching at air. His mind began to fog and his punches weakened, his eyes tearing up. It didn't last very long and soon his body went limp.

* * *

"_So what's this one?" another file was thrown._

"_Lovino Vargas. Claims to be South Italy."_

"_Italy's reunited. Sooo… he's not supposed to exist?"_

_A smile stretched across cracked lips. "Exactly."_

* * *

**ROMANO'S POV**

Romano didn't even bother to go to the meeting, so he ended up waking up somewhere around noon. Sunlight poured into his hazel eyes, and he squeezed them shut, attempting to go back into his dream world with the pretty bella. The dream wouldn't return, having already started to fade from memory. Romano opened his eyes again, and growled from low in his throat. The day had already started off on a ugly note.

Scowling at the sun, he swung his legs over the bed and walked to the bathroom, grabbing his towel as he went. He stripped, got in and washed. A good ten minutes later, he was drying his hair and brushing his teeth. Not really caring about appearance today, he put on a pair of blue jeans and a tee-shirt that said 'Imma just need you to shut the eff up.'; a shirt he got from Alfred. Grabbing a tomato from the basket kept by his door, he headed out.

The sun was bright, as he had already figured out. The grass was green and the sky was blue. Well, as blue as it could get in New York. Romano groaned, longing to see the blue sky of Italy. _Three more days Romano, you can do it._

He had barely walked for five minutes when he felt a shudder go through him. Somebody was following him, there had to be, he could feel it. Looking over his shoulder. Doing the natural thing, he began walking faster. _Dumbass! You're overreacting!_ He mentally chided himself, feeling like an idiot. He turned into an alley, immediately finding himself at a dead end. _Fucking stupid!_ He heard footsteps. _Shit._ He looked around; there was nothing for him to defend himself with. Turning completely around, he saw two men. One of them raised a stick. It hit him in the back of his head, knocking the nation unconscious.

***whistles* Not my best first chapter, shoot, it's only 700 words. But I hope it caught your interest nonetheless. I promise it'll get better. And if it doesn't then…sowwy for wasting your time. To be honest, I have the ending done. It's completely finished, like the last four chapters. ...It's the beginning that's giving me a hard time. Remember to review; I need to know what people think! Although, don't freaking shoot me down when I barely started flying. (Oh…I like that.)**

**Anyway, in case you haven't figured it out. There is a world meeting that is taking place in New York. Have fun!**


	2. Chapter 2

***looks at calendar* Oh my gosh. Has it really been less than a month? *gasp* It has! It really has. I should clap for myself! *self applause***

**Squee! You guys reviewed, faved, and followed. Even though there was only one chapter and it was basically a grocery list. Have a cookie. Everybody likes cookies (::) You could have a brownie [::], or even a bunny!**

**() ()**

**(^ ^)**

**(")("****)**

**In other words, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside. X)**

**Headcannon you need to know: **_**The Italy brother's hearts beat in sync**_**. It won't be one of those all story use headcannons, and will probably make more sense later. **

**Disclaimer: I can't draw. 'Nuff said.**

**ITALY'S POV**

"I'm sure you'll find him soon, amigo. Good Luck!"

The younger Italy brother put his phone down after pressing the red 'end call' button for the second time. He closed his eyes, attempting to calm down. It was something he learned from Japan. He went over things, thoughts mulling around in his head.

He had come back to his hotel room to find it empty. Of course, he began to freak out, going into panic mode and calling everyone his fratello could be with. In other words, he called Spain.

The only problem was, Spain said that Romano wasn't there; if the results of his latest phone call we're anything to go by. So Italy called their boss, only to get the same result: Romano wasn't there. He had gone out and checked out a couple other places before ending up back at the hotel. Checking the time he found that it was about seven.

He went to the mini fridge, getting some pasta that he got from a local Italian restaurant. He needed to eat and America claimed that it was authentic. Besides he always felt better when he was eating good food. Picking up his phone again, he dialed a _very_ familiar number.

**GERMANY'S POV**

Germany walked out of the bar, a frown on his face. _He wasn't in that one either._ He thought. he looked out at the city of New York, the blinking lights and neon signs making it seem almost like it was day.

Prussia could be anywhere. Literally anywhere. Germany ran through his mental checklist. He wasn't in the hotel room. Nor was he with France and/or Spain. He wasn't with America, Denmark, or in any of the bars and clubs he's checked so far. He sighed, pushing escaped hairs back into place. So the question remains. Where exactly _is_ he?

_**F is for friends, who do stuff together;**_ Germany pulled out his cell phone, his frown deepening when he saw the name on his screen; out of both exasperation and slight annoyance. _Now is not the time Italy._ The phone kept ringing consistently as be stared at it, continuing the Spongebob song. Germany sighed, knowing that he was going to get going to end up calling back anyhow. "Yes?" he asked, putting the phone to his ear, not even bothering with formalities.

"Germany, help me! I can't find my fratello!" Italy's hysterical voice cried from the other line.

Germany rubbed his temples. "What do you mean you can't find him?"

"He's not at the hotel and I can't find him anywhere!"

"Calm down, we'll find them." Germany said, attempting to calm down the Italian down.

"Them?" Italy asked sniffling. He's observant when he wants to be.

"I'll tell you later." Germany sighed.

"Could you come over? Maybe we could search together." Italy suggested hopefully.

"Sure."

**ITALY'S POV**

Italy swirled his fork in the bowl of pasta that for once wasn't being eaten. Germany was coming soon and everything will be alright. Right? He took another deep breath. Just because fratello's not here doesn't mean that he's missing, right? He could be with Spain or at the mall.

Italy opened his eyes, mentally slapping himself. He already checked those places! He sighed again, frustration and worry marring his usual happy demeanor.

He pushed the bowl away; American pasta wasn't that good anyway. The small Italian jumped when his phone rang, not bothering to check the ID before he answered. "Ciao!" he said, false cheerfulness radiating from him.

"Come downstairs. Now." Germany's militaristic voice commanded from the other line.

"Ve~, Sure thing!" Italy said, grabbing his shoes. Putting them on and his phone in his pocket, he headed downstairs. His blonde haired friend was standing by the door. The two of them headed out.

**G****ERMANY'S POV**

Germany intended to search everywhere that either of them haven't been. So being the leader he was, he asked Italy, "Where have you last seen him?"

"This morning. He didn't wake up in time for the meeting, and I didn't want him to mad at me, so I let him sleep." Italy answered obediently.

Germany nodded, stashing the information in his mental file cabinet for later use. "Where have you looked so far?" he asked.

Italy sighed. "The local mall and with Spain."

Germany nodded again. "Well then, let's get started."

**~TIME SKIP!~**

**ITALY'S POV**

It's been a really long time, and they've found nothing. They had searched high and low, shining their phone lights in every crack and crevice. If anything, those statistics made him worry even more. Still, it had been a long night, and they needed some sleep. Day two of the meeting was tomorrow anyways.

"We'll tell the others at tomorrow's meeting, to enlist their help." Germany's voice tore Italy from his thoughts, causing the small nation to jump.

"Sure." he said simply. He started heading for the elevator before he felt Germany's heavy hand on his shoulder. Turning, he looked at him questioningly.

"We'll find them." he said, looking Italy in the eye. "I promise."

Italy nodded, and Germany released him, before he continued walking the rest of the way to the elevator. The ride up was quiet, leaving him to mull in his thoughts. Something he really didn't want to do.

His thoughts were disoriented at first, worry and slight frustration adding to the chaos. Sorta like a tangled ball of yarn that had no beginning or end. Although one of his thoughts stood out to him. Germany's promise. Part of him trusted him. They would find them. But another part, a more persistent and serious part, knew full well that there was no way he could keep that promise.

The elevator gave it's routine ding, and Italy stepped out. Down the hall and into his room. The young man crashed onto his bed, and fell asleep almost immediately from exhaustion.

**Annnndddd scene. Still not proud of this. Grrr why am I so hard on myself. I hate it when other people say that they suck and look me being a hypocrite. Oh. Well. On another note, i realized that i can't write or role play as Germany. In character at least. Character Research time!**

**But before I go off and do that, i need to give the formalities. *clears throat*. As mentioned above, i don't own Hetalia. I ask for positive reviews, or constructive criticism. Also, I forgot to mention this in the last chapter; but my views on Hetalia or at least how I interpret it, are on my profile under the following:**

**HETALIA RANT!**

**THE WAY I SEE IT**

**HOW IT WORKS**

**and**

**HETACANNONS!**

**Other than that, I think that's all, sooooo PASTA LA VISTA!**


	3. Chapter 3

**And the reviews keep going up! Yay!**

**Also… **

**Answering guest reviewer known as Meh: I'm sorry that my 'warning' as you called it, made you run from my story like it was the plague. To me, it wasn't a warning, but in a way I guess it is. It wasn't a warning to haters, for I am fully aware that it won't help. They will come and grouch and find everything they can wrong with it. Sure it'll sting, but it's what they do. (Although they do need to find a new occupation.) That was moreso towards people who love Hetalia, but think that they need to yell at me for the things that they don't agree with. BTW, you are forgiven for the rant.**

**Sorry you guys had to see that, me giving a reply to an anon who may never even see it. *awkward silence* Ummm…this chapter starts off on the same day the last one began on. After the line break it's the next day (the day of the meeting) So shall we move onwards?**

**DISCLAIMER: Do I really have to do this every chapter?...Fine. I don't own Hetalia.**

**ROMANO'S POV**

Romano woke up for the second time that day, although this time it came with a headache that felt like his head was splitting in two. _Fuck!_ Forcing his olive eyes open, he stared up into what seemed to be endless black.

…Wait. …What?

He sat up quickly, his body forcing him back down onto the hard floor as nausea and pain hit him hard. "Shit." He muttered to himself. He took deep breaths. The last thing he remembered was a brief panic and then the pain of being hit. That explains the headache.

"Shit is right." Hearing those words, Romano turned his head to the side. Only to find the albino potato bastard he's grown to hate so much, waking up next to him.

"Somebody kill me now." Romano moaned. With Prussia here, it would be a fucking miracle if this headache went away.

A voice chuckled. It was soft but loud enough to cause the nations to jump. "While I would love to fulfil that wish; it would defeat the purpose of you being here." It said.

"Where are you?" Prussia asked. The voice went quiet. "You're being so unawesome!" he whined.

"Why are we even here?" Romano yelled, wincing when a stab of pain went through his head at his own voice. _How hard did they fucking hit me?_

There was a smile in the invisible bastard's voice when he said, "Do you know how much people would pay to be immortal?"

**PRUSSIA'S POV**

The room went really quiet at the voice's response. Part of him wanted to run towards the voice and beat the living daylights out of him. The other part told him that the former was a _really_ bad idea. Too bad he didn't listen. Prussia stood up swiftly, and ran forwards.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The voice said; something akin to glee in his voice rather than the fear that was expected. Prussia soon figured out why he was so sure of himself. There were two thuds. The sounds of him hitting the unknown metal bars of a cell and the sound of him hitting the ground with a groan. Hearing Romano whimper from somewhere to his right, Prussia pushed himself up into a sitting position.

There was the quick flash of a phone light and they saw a frown on the thin pale lips of the owner. The phone was snapped shut. "Lucky you," the voice began, "I can't mess with you today. But there's always tomorrow." It sang out. The sound of heel taps filled the room briefly only to fade out and leave the two in complete silence.

* * *

**PRUSSIA'S POV (next day)**

_BTZZTZZZTZZZTZZT!_ "AAAAAGGGGGHHH!" The ear piercing sound of thousands of electric volts died down to a low buzz as did the scream that came with it. Prussia laid there, strapped to the metal table. The straps rubbed into his pale skin, leaving angry red marks.

The nation's body withered under the pain that it was in. The smell of flesh burning and hair being singed filled his nose, tickling his nostrils. His throat was dry and cracked from screming so loud and so long but that wasn't enough for the bastards in the glass box to his left.

"Raise the voltage." Someone said over the loudspeaker. A knob was turned and another higher set of volts was sent through his body. Prussia screamed again, and he could swear there was laughter over the loudspeaker. Still, after it was over, he was still breathing.

"That was enough to kill a human!" the voice over the speaker exclaimed.

"If you haven't figured it out, he's not exactly human." Prussia vaguely recognized the voice as his original captor. "Double it." He said.

Prussia barely had time to prepare as the low hum of electricity grew louder and louder before sending the most painful shock he's felt today. He screamed, the white light of the electricity nearly blinding him. After what seemed like an eternity, it stopped. Everything stopped. And everything went to black.

**THE VOICE'S POV**

Lowering the bright lights of the white room, he went and checked the immortal's vital signs. He announced his findings to his fellow scientists. Grabbing his wrist he said, "Pulse: weak, but there." Moving towards the face, he placed his fingers right under the other's nose. "Breathing: steady." Unbuckling the nation, he turned him onto his stomach. "Burns: critical, but already showing signs of slow healing." Stepping back and pulling off his latex gloves he gave one last command. "Take him back and bring me the other one."

**ROMANO'S POV**

Romano woke up to the sound of a loud thud and a soft moan. Opening his eyes, he found himself in the dark room from before. He cursed. He seriously hoping that was a dream. Large, heavy hands grabbed his arms tightly, carrying him over to the cell door. Another smaller hand grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled it back to face the owner. "Next time I say 'Get up', I recommend you do it." Romano searched for features on the man's face. He found none. The hand let go of his hair and his head snapped back to its natural position.

Still Romano recognized the voice from his previous awakening, and he felt anger light up inside of him. "Next time you want me to fucking do something bastard, I 'recommend' you speak up." He said with a smirk, his tone mocking. There was a growl and Romano felt the powerful force of a palm hitting his right cheek. His cheek lit up in flames, and Romano clenched his teeth, attempting to seem tough. The hand smacked him again, harder, on the other cheek.

The tears welling up in the Italian's eyes stung and he felt some of them escape. He was smacked again, and again. "Come on! Scream! Scream for your 'Tomato Bastard.' Or your 'Nonno'." The hand hit Romano again and this time he did scream. He screamed and sobbed from the pain. He felt calloused fingers grip his tear stained cheeks, holding his face in place. "Get it through your thick little head _now._" The owner of the hand said, his hot breath misting on Romano's face. "No one's gonna help you. No one's gonna save you. So you're gonna make this easy for me, and you're gonna do as I say. Got that?"

Romano looked towards where he assumed his assailant's eyes were. "Like hell, bastard." He said, determination shining in his eyes that no one could see in the dark room. The man kicked him in his stomach, causing Romano to double over.

"Trust me, you'll learn." The man then walked out the room. The man holding Romano's arms dragged him out of the cell and into a bright room. Inside of it was white. Really white. There was one metal table in center and on it was a girl. She had long black hair and emerald green eyes. The man holding him threw him towards the table.

As he pulled himself onto it and next to the girl, the voice started back up. "This is Emma. She just found out she has terminal brain cancer. We told her we might have a cure. That cure is your blood." He said. Romano looked around, just for a good look at the bastard's face. But he was hidden from his view. "Start the testing now." Romano felt the prick of a needle before everything went fuzzy and then black.

**~Time Skip~**

Romano felt the pain of his head hitting the bars of the cell. Groaning, he looked over to see if Prussia was awake. He was still out, but it looked more like he was sleeping than anything else. That and the burns on his back were bandaged and medicated. He attempted to get some sleep then, because dreamland seemed to be the only safe place in this hellhole.

**Wow Romano. You've been in my world for less than five chapters and you already deem it Hell? Not cool man, not cool at all. Prussia seems okay with it. Then again, he wasn't really awake for this chapter. I promise, he'll be awake for the next one where he appears. Maybe.**

**Are you wondering why this one was so long? Yeah, I am too. Apparently, this chapter thought it would be a good idea to go off on it's own little rampage. Seriously, Prussia was gonna get so much more screen time. But it kinda turned into, was that Prussia's part was what happens in the white room and Romano's was what happened before the white room.**

**One last thing. You've met the OC. And it's gonna be a loooonnnnnnggg time before he shows his face. And he kinda has no depth. He's there to be the head of the project and be psychotic. Like he has a backstory and a purpose but…meh. BTW: I edited the first two chapters. Go reread them if you want to.**

**Soooooo…**

**Who's ready for chapter four?**


	4. Chapter 4

**THERE ARE 10 REVEIWS!**I** I say this is reason to celebrate. And by celebrate I mean it's for me to freakin' update this thing. So here you are!**

**DISCLAIMER: Why and how could I own Hetalia? I can barely keep up with my glasses.**

**GERMANY'S POV**

Germany walked into the meeting room, expecting to be the first one there. And possibly the only one there for a while. So the fact that Italy was sitting in his seat impatiently was quite the surprise.

"Italy?" he asked.

"Germany!" Italy said, jumping up to hug his friend. "I had a bad dream about fratello! We have to find him!" he exclaimed.

Germany placed a hand on his ally's shoulder, "We will." He said, he looked at his watch. 9:50 it said, the meeting starts in ten minutes. "The others should be here soon." He said.

"They'll help us, right?" Italy asked. Germany nodded as another voice joined their conversation.

"Help you with what?" the somewhat quiet voice asked. Germany turned to find Japan standing behind him.

"Italy and—"

"Our brothers are missing!" Italy blubbered, cutting off his German friend. Japan's eyes widened slightly, before his face went back to its expressionless normalcy.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Positive." Germany said. "We'll explain more after the others arrive.

**ITALY'S POV**

After what seemed to be the longest ten minutes of his life, the other nations began to file in. And then they had to go through the routine of Germany yelling at everyone to shut up. Then they had to go through all the world's issues that seemed to never go away. Finally the time came and Germany announced that both his and his own brother was missing.

Italy took the time to actually open his eyes to take in the other's reactions. Certain ones like America, Denmark had no words for once. They opted to have their eyes wide and mouths open. Others like Japan and Norway looked thoughtful,but still somehow expressionless . Germany himself was probably thinking of more strategies to find the two missing nations. However Spain seemed to be crestfallen, his usual smile missing and his green eyes dull.

America quickly shook himself out of his stupor and stood up. "Dudes! What are we waiting for? We have to go find them!"

Italy nodded. "Ve~ he's right."

Germany cleared his throat before going over the plans he had made.

***peeks out from behind table* Yeah, I basically took a ball of crap and stuck it to a piece of paper. But now we can go to the part I actually planned!**

**The above can be read as the following: I am going to preform a MAJOR time skip. You'll see how much time it is then. The main problem is that I have NO planning for that time skip. As you can see, I had no planning for this chapter either so I'm gonna give you the next chapter (which is about a bajillion times better than this one) right after this one. Good deal right?**

**Something tells me I'm rushing this,so someone remind me to edit.**

**Well, see you in a few minutes! Bye!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hallo! Welcome to the Chapter 5? I hope that this one makes up for the crap that was the last one.**

**DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Hetalia**

**POV N/A**

Neither nation knew exactly how long they had been in the dark cage or the white room. However, they did seem to earn special spots in their tormentor's heart.

Romano had earned the role of the 'punching bag'. The Voice had a habit of taking Romano away when he was bored or angry, only to inject random chemicals into his body, ranging from antifreeze to arsenic. They had various effects, sending the Italian into seemingly endless bouts of sickness. Emma's body was on it's way to health before her body rejected Romano's blood and caved in on itself.

Prussia had become the 'useful one'. They used almost every aspect of the Prussian they could, performing test after test and operations one right after the other. Blood for cures or prolonged life. Taking other cells and seeing just how fast they regenerate. Most of the human volunteers for these test died as well.

It was a pretty scary time for the both of them. However, every morning they would wake up and find their sores properly wrapped and medicated. They haven't figured out their mysterious nurse or the person running this operation. These two facts are both driving the them insane and comforting them. So, now that you're up to speed, let's see where they are now. Shall we?

**PRUSSIA'S POV**

Prussia groaned as he was thrown back into the cage, his head hitting the bars again. Pain radiated through his skull as he pushed himself up, dirt and grime getting into the cuts on his arms. The bulky man who threw him then grabbed Romano taking him to only god knows where. The albino watched groggily as the italian let himself be dragged off. There was no kicking and screaming like the previous times, only a few muttered curses.

Prussia frowned, noticing that Romano's expression was almost hopeless; none of the previous determination he had earlier. But who was he to call the Italian out. Nothing shined in his eyes either. Nothing but hopelessness and fear.

According to the headbastard, as Romano called him, Prussia was nearing his final test. Something tells him that doesn't mean he gets to go home.

**wow….that is really, really short. But it's basically an update on what's happening on the boy's side. According to the rules on here, an AN by itself isn't exactly legal so i had to put something. That something is above. Also I lied, the awesome chapter comes after this one.**

**In other words...useless chapter is useless.**


	6. Chapter 6

**See this? This is a chapter i actaully planned. I had it written down on paper until we got here. All i had to do was type it up.**

**HETACANNON: The Italy Bros' hearts beat in sync.**

**DISCLAIMER: I still don't own it.**

**ITALY'S POV**

See this? This is a chapter i actually planned. I had it written down on paper until we got here. All i had to do was type it up.

HETACANNON: The Italy Bros' hearts beat in sync.

DISCLAIMER: I still don't own it.

ITALY'S POV

Italy's group of nations milled around in a somewhat organized chaos as they searched high, low and just about every direction in between for the missing nations. It had been five weeks, three days, and seven hours since they disappeared.

...Not that he was counting or anything.

He sighed. He didn't think it would take so long. It shouldn't take so long. Where could they have gone? He sighed again. The kidnapper was no help. They left no clues. They didn't know of his whereabouts. It was almost as if this was weeks in in the making. Italy felt like hitting himself again, apparently stress makes him stupid.

"Iggy! I'm tired!" America complained, dragging Italy out of his thoughts and plopping him back into reality; a place he really doesn't wanna be in right now.

"Get over it wanker, and help me!" England said, heading over to the east of their area. America rolled his eyes with a small smile, but still went over and helped anyway.

Italy smiled himself, a genuine smile that truly reached his eyes. It was the first one in a while. But he couldn't help it. Everyone was helping out. It made him so happy.

Still… the Italian was impatient. He wanted to find his brother desperately, just to know if he's okay if nothing else. Just to know if he's okay.

A stabbing pain suddenly blossomed in his chest, and he crumpled to the ground with a cry. "Dude!" America came running towards Italy. The Italian clutched at his heart, fingers clawing at his shirt. _No! Nonononono!_ he chanted in his head. "Please Fratello." he whispered out loud. "Please, please be okay."

America knelt down next to Italy, worry shining in his eyes. "Man, you alright" Italy looked up at him, his honey brown eyes gleaming with unshed tears, although escaped ones were already making their way down his cheeks.

"No…" he said sniffling. "Fratello's heart just stopped."

**GERMANY'S POV**

Germany looked everywhere with his group on the other side of town. And by 'everywhere', he meant everywhere. They have moved about three blocks now, and they hadn't found anything.

Spain was on the phone next to him as he looked in abandoned store windows. If America needs so much more room why doesn't he just use these? he thought.

He was brought out of his musings when he heard the tell-tell sound of something breaking. Looking over, he saw Spain with teary eyes, his eagerness to find the two dimmed slightly. "It's for you." He said, handing the cracked phone to the German before waking to the other side of the street.

"Guten tag." Germany said, looking after Spaniard warily.

"Yo dude! Italy just fell out for some reason. Something about his brother?" America's voice came through the phone, his statement ending in a question. In other words, he doesn't know what's going on.

"Fell out?" Germany asked, hoping for more information.

"Yeah, it was like a heart attack or somethin'. Can countries get those?" America asked.

Germany didn't say anything for a moment. It was odd if a country gets a natural cold. Was something going on in Italy that the personification didn't tell him about. But can Feliciano even keep a secret? "Dude?" America's voice rang in his ear.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Germany asked.

"Yes! We're taking Italy to the hospital. England says come if you want to." There was a small bit yelling on the other line before America said a quick 'bye' and hung up. Germany rubbed his temples and looked at the Spaniard across the street that looked really close to pulling his hair out.

"We're going to the hospital." He told him. "Help me get everyone else."

**SPAIN'S POV**

Spain was seriously beginning to wonder how he'd look with bald spots all over his head. His little tomate was missing and they still haven't found him! Oh, and Prussia too. His best friend and former charge were missing on the same day. Why them? Why not one of the stronger countries? Or richer? Those two were ex-nations, what good would they do their captor?

Speaking of captors, how the hell did _they_ figure out their country status? Did someone leak? Were they just that smart? Was it an accident?

So. Many. Questions.

Then came America's phone call, exclaiming that Italy had passed out due to his brother. Spain's confused and stressed mood, had gone even farther downhill. Both brother's hearts beat in sync with one another. If one heart stops than the other will feel it. So if Italy just 'fell out' as the american put it, then something must've happened to the other one, right? Speaking of the other one…

What was his name?

**Done! And isn't this chapter so much better than the two fillers before this? And nope it's not typo, Spain really is forgetting Romano, same with Prussia.**

**Hetacannon Explanation: in my mind, the countries are geological land masses. So if a country dies, it becomes 'free land', and the personification is forgotten. However, ex-nations, have a higher chance of dying a human death. It's confusing I know and if you can't tell yet, it's really hard for me to explain. (This is based off a comic where Romano was shot in the head and at the funeral, Spain comments on not remembering him. PM me if you feel lost)**

**Spain isn't the only one forgetting though. America forgot too. When he said Something about a brother, he was surprised that Italy had a brother. He had to search his thoughts before before it came back. See?**


	7. Chapter 7

**More elaboration on the hetacannon from the last chapter: the reason that some people are forgetting the personifications is because; they are no longer a nation. It's just free land (I already mentioned this). If the people of that land mass rise up and win, then they will become a nation (different names, and maybe even personality).**

**I'm back ya'll! And I'm really sorry I haven't updated in forever and a half. It's Contest Season with Marching Band so that means lots of practice and lots of traveling until late. And that also means no time for writing. After this, we have parades and Christmas music to start on. And I signed up for NaNoWrMo. Honestly, I don't know why I chose this semester to start a story.**

**Brain: You're finishing this.**

**Whatever. BTW: it's been a while since the last chapter. Anywhozit…**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Hetalia, I swear it. And long AN is long.**

**PRUSSIA'S POV**

"Shit!" Prussia yelled out in pain as he was awoken with a good morning kick to the small of his back.

"Wakey, wakey!" The man's voice pierced the dark cell. Prussia didn't move then, his blood freezing in his veins.

It was _that_ day.

He has come to the conclusion that the day of his 'final test' is the day they finally kill him off; something he is strangely okay with. The rough calloused hands that usually manhandled him dragged him into the familiar white room. The brown straps chafed into his already raw arms.

A whirl of machines began as the fluorescent lights glinted off of something metallic before it stopped right in front of his face. The piece of machinery was a small chrome claw, like one you'd find in an arcade game.

A shadow obscured his vision as he stared at the thing. Leering over him was a new face, an unfamiliar one. The figure had mousy brown hair, bloodshot green eyes hidden behind square glasses, and a sick smile on his face.

"I am David." He said. The nation was mesmerized by the fact that the man speaking to him was the same man who had seemingly made it his mission to drag him and Romano through hell and back. The fact that he is generally successful is another thing. He found anger bubbling inside of him and he jerked his body forwards, wanting to kill the man with his bare hands, completely forgetting about the leather straps holding him down.

'David' laughed at his struggles, the nerve-wracking sound booming in his ears. "I'm only here so that way you could see my face. It'll be the last thing you'll ever see." he said. Prussia spit at him, his saliva landing on David's glasses.

David jumped out of the way before shouting, "Start the process!" The next few moments threw Prussia into a world of pain.

**DAVID'S POV**

The screams that tore from the albino's throat were exhilarating! He loved every single one. As the probe did its magic, blood squirted out of the eye socket. The metal fingers gripped the squishy orb, pulling slowly, just like he ordered it to. Blood vessels snapped with a wet _twang_ as they were stretched to their limits, straining to keep the eye intact.

David leaned in close to see the damage. Blood dripped from the new hole in the nation's head, mixing with the salty tears still streaming from the socket. The probe dove in for the other eye, and David began to giggle in joy. The other eye was almost as fun as the first. But the eye was damaged, so the new owner might be blind in one eye. Oh well.

**PRUSSIA'S POV**

Prussia's first question was 'Why me?' Like any sane person I guess. His eyelids kept coming down over empty sockets. Nothing in them but blood overflowing the round bowls where they used to be. Warm salty tears flowed down his cheeks even if there was nothing for them to clean.

This is how it feels. To be robbed blind. He almost laughed at the joke. Almost. "This one's boring." David's voice rang out. "Bring me the other one." Prussia cried out in surprise as the strong arms yanked him up from the table. His world was black as he was thrown into the cage once again.

There was a grunt under him, signaling that he landed on Romano.

**ROMANO'S POV**

Romano groaned as Prussia landed on him full force. The albino bastard was scrambling to get off, though it was more like he was staring at nothing. He didn't get a chance to question him though, for the hands were lifting him up, and into the white room. No struggle.

"Stop!" the head's voice said. "I wanna see something." Calloused fingers grabbed his face. Romano barely remembered this from day one, his eyes downcast. "My my, look how much you've changed!" the voice said. Romano's eyes looked up, and what he saw, made his eyes spark. "So obedient now." The bastard said.

"So you're the ass-hat that dragged me through this shit-storm." Romano stated with malice dripping from his voice, an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time.

"I'm David. And yes, that is my mission. It seems that I have succeeded." he said with a twisted smile. Romano felt anger light up in the pit of his stomach. He began to struggle in the man's grip, maybe get a good headbutt in.

"Fucking bastard is what you are! What did you do to him?" he asked. Though he'd never admit it, he was scared for the albino stumbling around in the dark cell.

"Tsk, tsk." David said. "Such inappropriate words. We're going to have to clean that mouth out of yours." He continued, sounding more like a chiding mother.

Romano scoffed. "You make it sound like I actually give a shit." David shook his head.

"This'll be fun." he said. The bright florescent lights of the white room almost blinded him as he was placed on the table; the cold metal of it chilling his thinning arms to the bone. There was a metal claw poised above him, as red dripped from it, landing on the Italian's forehead. Romano felt his mouth twist into a scowl as Daniel showed his face once again.

"Fucker," was all that Romano had to say to him.

David tsked again. "We're going to have to have to fix that." His pale fingers held a plastic cup. In it was a sweet smelling liquid, yellow in color. "Drink," David commanded. It was a word he said often to the Italian, and Romano usually ended up obeying. One way or another.

Today, Romano kept his mouth shut. "Come on…" David cooed, bringing the cup closer. A look of anger flashed through his eyes, and Romano opened his mouth. With a smile, David poured the liquid down his throat, causing the Italian to gag on its sickly sweet taste. He waited for the pain that was sure to come. But there was nothing. "Take him back!" David shouted, and the arms grabbed him again.

**(6 Hrs later)**

He woke up to the scorching feeling of bile rising in his throat. It burned, dripping out of the corners of his mouth as he struggled to sit up. As bile continued to drip at a steady rate onto his shirt, everything seemed to slow down. His heart rate, his mind, everything. He fell back down as the room began to spin. The bile was almost a steady river by now.

His body started to shake, building in intensity until it became a wild spazzing, his head shaking and spinning as unintelligible words attempted to escape his dry lips. Lying on his back with his head leaning back, he managed to somehow choke on the bile rising in his throat.

**PRUSSIA'S POV**

He woke up to the sound of gagging. It was a wretched sound, the wet coughing grinding on his senses. "Romano?" He called out. The sound continued, although they seemed to be getting slower, farther in between. "Romano?" He yelled, his hands scanning the area, searching desperately for his cellmate from which he was pretty sure the sickening sound was coming from.

Searching on his hands and knees, the sound suddenly stopped. Fear clenched at Prussia's heart, terrified that the one person he could trust could be very well dead. Finding Romano, he nearly jumped for joy. Locking his pale fingers together, he pushed down on what he assumed was Romano's chest, pumping furiously.

Something wet squirted his face, getting a bitter taste in his mouth. The sound of vicious coughing filled the cell. "Romano!" Prussia said.

**ROMANO'S POV**

Romano's lungs constricted through the coughs. Although the Italian was grateful that he was saved from choking, he still felt the room spin and his body convulse. His throat burned as more bile arose from it. More coughing filled the room as the bile became lodged once more.

As Prussia pushed on his chest, he turned Romano on his side to prevent him from choking again. Then the door opened, the white light shining into the cell. The Italian's eyes were met with a terrifying sight. In place of Prussia's ruby red eyes were two whole bloody holes. Dry blood sat on his cheeks like tear stains.

The clicking of heels pulled him out of his trance. "Shhh..." a soothing female voice said. Romano watched through bleary eyes as she knelt down and gave him something to drink. It was bitter in taste and most of it spilled out due to his body's random jerks. It was like the aftershocks of an earthquake.

"It'll be alright." she whispered, stroking the Italian's head softly. And then Romano's world went dark.

**PRUSSIA'S POV**

The woman's voice soothed him, even if he couldn't exactly see her. Suddenly, longer slender arms wrapped themselves around his torso, leaving the Prussian confused and in slight panic. "I'm so sorry." She whispered. "I'm so sorry." She repeated it like a mantra, though Prussia had no idea what she was talking about. There was a wetness on his shirt however, meaning that the woman was crying. The Prussian hugged back awkwardly.

The woman pulled away saying, "I'll get you out of here. I promise." As she did so, there was a new found determination strong in her voice.

**Yep, I just took Prussia's eyes out. This is the longest chapter thus far. *self applause* Also, i thank _Dragonfire78_ for helping me with not only this story, but also all of my other stories and ideas as well. If it wasn't for her, this story would be a lot worse off. Me and organization are not friends. Go check her out. She's really cool and even if she only has one story, she's a great internet friend to have.**

** That's all I can think of to say You know what to do.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Italy! Germany! You're up! I edited this, sent it to Dragonfire, edited it again when i woke up this morning, and edited it just now.**

**WHY AM I NOT SATISFIED WITH THIS?!**

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Hetalia, if you haven't figured it out by now**

**ITALY'S POV**

It's been a week since his 'half heart attack' as America had tended to call it, and the others had continued to look while he was in the hospital for a day, finding nothing as per usual. Then the others had slowly stopped searching altogether, each going back to their respectable countries. They're search party got smaller and smaller until it was just the two of them, Germany and himself.

Germany said that it was because there are more pressing issues than searching for missing nations, but something told Italy that there was something else. Even Spain had stopped searching and he would put the world on hold, pun not intended, for his little tomato.

...Right?

Shaking his head, Italy pulled his sneakers on, a new daily routine he had started. He was going to go look for his brother, like he's been doing for the last month and a half. Grabbing his jacket, he went down to the lobby. Heading towards the door, a voice stopped him. "Where are you going?" Turning around, Italy saw Germany coming out of the stairwell next to him. He had a map in his hand. Where was he going?

"I'm looking for my fratello." Italy said. "Wanna help?" he asked happily.

A look of confusion crossed the taller nation's face before it went back to its normal militaristic look. "Who?"

Italy's features fell. "Romano? Mio fratello…" he said, hoping to jog the German's memory.

Germany looked at the Italian in doubt. "Italy, there is no country called Romano."

Tears filled the corners of Italy's eyes, a few escaping. "He's my brother! How can you not remember him?" he yelled, earning strange looks from a passerby. Germany reached out to hug him, but Italy wrenched himself out of his grasp, looking almost as if he couldn't believe the words that came out of the German's mouth. And to be honest, he couldn't.

"Italy, I-" Italy didn't listen as he simply tightened his jacket around himself and stormed off. Germany stood there and sighed. He had his own brother to look for.

**THAT WOMAN FROM THE LAST CHAPTER**

She was blasted with cold air the moment she stepped out of the taxi, autumn beginning to settle in. Slamming the door shut, she hurried into the hotel. They were staying here right? In the lobby was a blonde man sitting in one of the chairs, crossing off areas of a New York map. "Umm, excuse me sir? Your name wouldn't happen to be Ludwig, would it?" she asked politely. The blonde looked up from his map tiredly.

"Yes, it is." He said, pushing blonde hairs back into position. "Do you need something?"

She could tell that he was taking note of her lab coat and the fact that she knew his name. It was a piercing and wary gaze and it made her uncomfortable. "Do you know a Feliciano? Feliciano Vargas?" she asked.

Ludwig's eyes narrowed before he nodded slowly. "Yes, although he left not too long ago."

She took a small breath; deciding to stretch her limits. "Could you call him?"

"Why?" the German asked. She sat down next to him, looking into his eyes.

"Because..." She said."I know where your brothers are."

**GERMANY'S POV**

His eyes widened at the confession. He still didn't trust this woman but common sense said that she was the only lead they had. Pulling out his phone, he called 'Feliciano Vargas'. It was a short conversation, the Italian managing to hold a grudge longer than five minutes, but he did manage to get him to come.

He sat back down next to the woman, who looked as though she had started crying in the short two minutes he was gone.

**THAT WOMAN FROM THE LAST CHAPTER**

"Ve~?" She looked up to see what looked like Feliciano Vargas bouncing through the door. Coming over, he sat down on her other side. She could almost clap her hands together in delight, she was _that_ much closer to getting those two home, where they belong.

"Ludwig? Who's the pretty bella?" he asked.

"My name is Carol." she said. Both nations turned their attention to her. "I'm the one who thought it would be a good idea to explore nation representatives of the world. Where they come from, how they live. I thought taking two that 'didn't exist' anymore would be playing it safe, but I was wrong. He took it too far. He…" she said. She was aware that she was barely making sense, for she was still crying. "Germany, Italy... I know where your brothers are, and I want to lead you to them."

She looked up through teary eyes at the two. Surprised eyes looked back towards her. "You know where fratello is?" Italy asked softly. She nodded, and Italy looked to be crying as well, tears of joy leaking from his eyes. "Could you take us to him?"

Her face fell slightly. Something didn't add up. Italy and Germany were best friends and she had taken both of their brothers. Shouldn't the Italian have said 'Our brothers'? "Does your friend have a brother?" she asked them both.

"No..."

"Oh god... We have to go! Now!" she exclaimed. Italy jumped up almost immediately while Germany stood up, a lot more skeptical than his friend. Her heels clicked quickly as she ran towards the doors, waving wildly for a taxi, and hoping it wasn't too to set things right.

**This dear readers, is what you call a 'Necessary Filler'. And I hated writing it. A Lot! But hey. Somehow, this story has gone from something with a plot to something that...doesn't. I really need to change the summary, it's kinda misleading.**


	9. Chapter 9

**ROMANO! Get off your butt and jump back in the story! I don't care that you think it's a hellhole, go!**

**ROMANO'S POV**

The next 'morning' he was woken with a slap. He woke up, albeit warily, ready to throw his own barrage of words at the bastard who he still refused to give a proper name to. However, nothing came out. Nothing except the tears that squeezed themselves from his eyes at the burning pain he received instead. _The fuck?!_ he thought, his hands flying to his throat.

"Much better isn't it?" Head bastard's voice said. Romano's eyes looked up to find him squatting next him. "It's quiet." Anger flared up in Romano, his fingers curling into tight fists. "Awww…is the wittle boy angwy?" Romano's fist flew, hitting the man's arm. It didn't do much, for he was weak. Really weak.

Head bastard took offence to it and hit him back, full force, causing blood to gush out of the Italian's nose like a waterfall. It got into his mouth, leaving copper on his tongue. Pain erupted in his chest as a foot connected with his rib-cage. He was kicked again, and again; the bastard wanting to take the terminology of 'punching bag' literally. Each kick sent him farther and farther into his corner, until he was pressed against the wall, and just hitting the stone like a confused toy car. Head bastard didn't say anything, as he kicked Romano, just playing a game to see how much blood he could spill and how many bruises he could make.

Finally it stopped. Romano coughed, blood spraying on whatever was around him in the dark cell. His eyes caught the blurry figure of Head bastard getting up. "You can have the other one." The words fell on deaf ears for Romano was out cold.

**PRUSSIA'S POV**

He felt something warm and wet on his cheek. 'Blood!' was his thought as he woke up. Darkness was all he could see in the world. "Romano?" The blood wasn't his, for it was sprayed on him. So it had to be the Italian's, which in turn caused the Prussian to worry."Romano?" there was no answer. "Rom—" his words were cut off as a boot connected with his jaw, causing him to bite his tongue harshly and for the copper taste of his own blood to fill his mouth.

"Shut it freak!" the man shrieked. It defiantly wasn't David, his voice was too deep. Prussia's breath hitched as the guard grabbed his collar; his feet dangling above the ground, and his back pressed to the stone wall behind him. "You can't die... right?" Prussia found himself nodding like a bobble-head out of terror rather than smugness about his immortality. "Good." The guard said, the smile in his voice somehow audible.

Prussia felt a knee forcibly hit his rib-cage, breaking several of the bones under the pale, fragile skin. The knee hit him again, more of his ribs breaking. Pain erupted in his chest, and his lungs seemed to stop working. He couldn't take a breath, a giant hole having been ripped in his lung. He breathed through his mouth, trying to take bigger breaths as if that would help. He suddenly wished he could die, just to make the pain stop. Just to make everything stop!

The knee kept coming, eventually causing the Prussian to cough up blood, spraying it in his attacker's face. There was a growl, the pain of a steel toed boot connecting with his 'vital regions' before leaving him crumpling on the ground in pain. One last thought entered his mind as darkness consumed him.

_Mein Gott, just kill me now._

**Awwwww...poor guys. And I find myself not caring. Meh..**.


	10. Chapter 10

**This chapter is so important that I've decided to put EVERYONE'S POV in it. So yay! Besides if I just put the two captive's POVs, the chapter would be 100 words. Tops. **

**DISCLAIMER: Still do not own them **

**DAVID'S POV**

_'I'll have to thank Carol one of these days._' The doctor thought as he watched his punching bag as he attempted to swing at the invisible beings plaguing his mind with bound limbs.

Hallucinations. He had decided to be nice today. Although it was sad that he couldn't scream anymore. All the poisons have messed up this throat pretty bad; it's a miracle that he was still breathing. Although he wasn't really awake right now, still asleep. So they were more like nightmares. Again, not fun. He sighed.

The other one had become useless so he was simply rotting away in the cell. He was still in the same position the guard had left him in, crumpled to the ground against the wall. Sort of like a discarded wad of paper. '_Maybe one day we'll take out the trash._' He thought smugly. _S__peaking of which…where is Carol?_ S He looked around. He soon got bored with watching the nation and released him, dodging when the Italian attempted to take a swing at him. He ordered someone to take him back.

**GERMANY'S POV **

'_You have no plan…at all._' His mind chided him as he looked out the window anxiously. He'd come to the decision of trusting Carol, unless given reason not to. But what were they going to do when they got there? Storm the place? Waltz in and take them?

He almost laughed at the stupidity of the latter. He looked at the other passengers in the taxi, the scenery outside the window getting old. Carol looked calm and relieved, happiness and peace in her eyes. He could only hope it was for a positive reason. His eyes went to Italy whose face held a determined expression, something akin to anger in his eyes. It was unnerving.

"We're here." Carol's voice rang out, taking the German out of his thoughts. Germany stepped out of the car and looked around. They were still in New York, but at a part they had already checked. Several times actually. It was an abandoned warehouse. The building itself screamed 'shady' the windows bricked shut, walls covered in crude graffiti and the door swinging on loose hinges. His blue eyes narrowed.

"What is the meaning of this?"

**CAROL'S POV**

She turned to answer, stopping suddenly at the glacial gaze from the German, freezing her in slight fear. "T-this is where we k-keep them a-and our operations." She stammered out.

"Ve~, we already looked here." Italy said airily, although a threat underlies the cheer.

She gulped. "I-I know. We w-watched you do it." She said, stumbling over her words again. Seeing the looks of disbelief and underlying threats, she quickly went inside, motioning the two to follow. Going towards the farthest wall she pushed heavily on the brick, part of it gradually opening. She didn't turn around as she headed down the stairs. Instead she continued talking, having gained her confidence back.

"You two are new employees. The reason you don't have a badge is simply because they haven't been made yet. You don't have uniforms because you haven't got them yet. The others should all be on break right now but there are always stragglers. That is your story. Got it?" she asked. She received no answer. "You have about an hour to look for, find, and save your friends. Find the back door when you do, it's usually unlocked." They finally got to the end and she scanned her key card. "Now go."

**ITALY'S POV**

The speech was unexpected, but understood. He gave a nod to Germany before heading off in a random direction. The underbelly of the building was white. Nothing but white: crisp, clean, and easy to stain white. Honestly, he's never felt more uneasy in his life.

White was supposed to be a color of innocence, but here it was somehow fear-inducing. He looked down at his shoes, they were black, the color of death suddenly saving him from fear. "Fratello?" he called softly. He turned a corner, finding himself in a somehow, even whiter room. There was an anesthetic smell in the air, reminding the Italian of a doctor's office. He shivered. At the other end of the room was a door. **'Staff Personnel Only.**_**'** _It said. _We're technically staff right now._ He thought, pushing the door open.

For a fleeting moment, he was shown what was behind the door, a row of bars, cutting him off from whatever was inside. The door then clicked shut, locking him in complete darkness. Fear once again grabbed for him, making him whimper slightly. _'Stay strong for fratello._' He thought, his fingers grabbing blindly for the bars he saw earlier.

He felt along the metal bars, his fingers touching rust, smooth steel and something wet. He found a small metal plate, his fingers found a hole. For the key! He pulled on the bars surrounding the key hole and pulled. To his surprise the door swung open pretty easily. "Fratello?" he whispered again. Silence answered him. He pulled out his cell phone, shining the flash light around the room.

He immediately wished he hadn't.

His eyes were greeted with the sight of blood. It was everywhere, sprayed around in droplets. He looked down, his eyes landing on his brother. Or, what was left of him. His brother was thin, pale, and barely breathing. "Fratello?" he asked again, louder this time. He wanted to cry, scream, something! But that would be a bad idea. He held it in as he scooped up his brother, the body cold in his grasp. Lovino stirred slightly as he shifted into him for a more comfy position. "Don't worry fratello." Italy said. "We'll get you out of here."

**GERMANY'S POV **

The direction he picked was apparently the wrong one. It lead him through a labyrinth of hallways lined with doors that only opened up to offices. He eventually ended up going back the way he came. He went in another direction this time.

He was taken down a path that held more offices until he came to a door that opened up into a white room. A very white room. He crept to the door towards the back that said **'Staff Personnel Only**'. He pushed open the door, holding it with his foot, and there he was. Behind the bars of what looked like some kind of cell was his brother.

He was unconscious. The body was a heap; bony and paler than usual. Germany felt a hard lump rise in his throat at the sight, lodging itself there and restricting his breathing. 'No.' he thought, pushing the lump down harshly. Moving his foot, he ran over to Prussia, thanking god the cell's door was swinging open. Germany grabbed his brother's wrists, praying to every deity he knew of that there would be a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found it. Faint, but very much there. It was beating erratically and off-beat. But Prussia's heart was beating, and right now, that was all that mattered to him. He gingerly picked up his bruder, feeling a warm, squishy liquid soak through his clothes, making an artwork of stains on his shirt. It didn't matter. This was a mission. A mission that wasn't complete yet.

He paused in his haste to exit the room, frowning at his own thought process. Is that all this was? A mission? A simple military exercise? Where did that leave Prussia?

_No_. he shook his head, ridding himself of the insecurities. He was saving a life, saving a country. He had to get Prussia to the entrance. For this wasn't 'Pass' or 'Fail'. It was Life and Death.

**ITALY'S POV**

He couldn't go back the way they came in. The door was locked with the same key card scanner they had seen Carol use to let them in. Shouldn't Carol have been at the door? Waiting for them? What if it was all a trap? He shook his head roughly, hoping to clear his head. He only succeeded with making himself dizzy. His brother shifted in his arm.

He looked down to see Romano's eyes open slightly, the irises glazed over. He glared at him as if to say 'leave me alone.' And then a dopey smile broke out on Romano's face. It was starting to scare him.

"Fratello? Fratello?" Italy looked down at the limp, frail body in his arms, hardly recognizable it as his brother. He felt his legs pump themselves faster and harder, going from a brisk walk to almost a frantic running; as the eyes of his brother began to flutter closed. "No. You have to stay awake." He said, his efforts proving futile when there was no reaction, Romano's eyes shutting completely. He felt warm tears well up in his eyes, dripping like rain onto his brother's cheeks. He was tempted to slap the pale bruised face. Just to hear Romano yell at him in his colorful tongue. He wanted to see that small smile or the smirk he gave when he knew something Italy didn't. He'd even settle for the customary scowl. Anything was better than the dopey grin glued to his face now.

Italy came to yet another door and stopped. Maybe I should wait… he thought. For Germany! He'll know what to do. Sliding to the ground, he rested Romano's head in his lap. He observed his brother's physical condition. His chest rose and fell painfully slow. He hit Romano's cheek lightly. "Fratello?" he whispered. No reaction. The tears began to fall faster, the dam he had built when this all started beginning to crack. He had to stay strong, for his fratello.

"Fratello…" he whispered again."You can't leave. How am I gonna run the country by myself? Who's gonna help Big Brother Spain with his garden? Who's gonna eat and cook with me?" he asked pulling Romano close, hoping for at least a heartbeat. There was no response, although he wasn't really expecting one. He pulled the lifeless body closer, still searching for that heartbeat. He almost jumped for joy when he found it. Very, very faint; but still pumping blood through his veins. That was good enough for him. He hugged his brother closer, the dam finally breaking and tears cascading down his cheeks and soaking his brother's dirty black tee shirt.

"Please…" he pleaded."Please don't die Fratello." He pleaded sniffling. "You can't die. You have to live. For our country. For me."

**GERMANY'S POV**

He had exited the room quickly, running into no one as he worked his way through the underground labyrinth. Carol said to meet her at the back door, which was usually unlocked. He found Italy sobbing over who he assumed was the Italian's brother. At first glance he looked dead, in no better condition to the Prussian in his arms.

Kneeling down with a sigh, he said, "Italy, we have to go. Carol is waiting outside." the Italian nodded and stood up with confidence. Standing himself, he pushed open the door that Italy was leaning against, standing aside to let his ally through. He couldn't help the small smile of triumph to cross his face when he felt the cool wind on his face. They had made it. Turning, the sight of Carol being held by a strange man, a gun held to her head, met his eyes.

**NOBODY'S POV**

"New employees?" he asked. The two at the door nodded, albeit hesitantly. "Ha! What kind of fool do you take me for? Hmm?" he asked.

"David, please! They don't belong here and we had no right to do what we did to them!" Carol yelled, struggling desperately.

"Why do you think I care?" David asked, pressing the barrel further into her temple. "I don't. They were simply there for my entertainment, my toys." He said. "Are you gonna play the mean old lady that takes them away from me?"

"Yes." Carol said, regretting ever putting this monster in charge of the project. She looked at the two nations standing in the door. "Go! There are two ambulances at the street. Run there and don't look back."

"But-"

"Go!" Carol yelled. "I'll be fine." she smiled reassuringly. "I promise." Italy still hesitated until his German friend gave him a light nudge. Then the two took off.

"No!" David yelled, anger running through his veins. He took the gun away from Carol's head, opting to shoot at the retreating figures of the nations. Germany cried out as a bullet grazed his shoulder, but he didn't allow it to effect his running.

"Italy!" he called. The ambulance was up ahead. They just had to get them a little farther. Paramedics rushed out, prepared to take the victims to the hospital. Germany was reluctant to part with his brother again, but was reassured that he could ride to the hospital with them.

Italy had at some point tightened his grip on his brother, not wanting him to be taken away soon. He just got him back! "You'll get to sit with him on the ride there." one nurse shouted. "His condition is steadily dropping." another said. Italy finally let go with a sigh, climbing into the ambulance sound of a gun going off filled the street.

"Is there anyone else back there?" Italy nodded. The paramedics nodded, some jumping off to go back to scene while calling for backup. The two ambulances they were in sped off.

**RANDOM PARAMEDIC POV**

"We need the police." His partner said as soon as they stepped onto the scene. He looked around, having to agree with her. There was blood everywhere, all of it surrounding a body in middle of the alley. It was coming from two bullet wounds, one in the victim's side, and the other in her head.

"Yeah…" he said with a low whistle."Hey look." There was a piece of paper in the lady's hand. On it, in all caps was the word 'PROOF'. He took it from her fingers and unfolded it. His eyes widened as his eyes scanned over the words.

_To whom it concerns:_

_ If you are a nation, I'm very sorry for the condition your friends are in. It was for advancements in medical research. I had assumed that taking two countries that didn't 'exist' anymore would've been the smart route to go. And it was going to be a simple ask permission and take blood samples kind of thing. _

_David, the man I had put in charge of the project, had other ideas. He kidnapped your friends and has tortured them. Nothing was accomplished. Not anything I had planned anyways. I'm very sorry._

_ If you are an Officer of the Law, please take the information in the envelope and bring David and anyone else associated with him to justice. _

_Sincerely, Carol Falls_

**Yay! Things are beginning to be cleared up! *claps* And this story is just about done! Have you enjoyed it so far?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi again! Yes, **I've updated a lot this week. Don't get used to it. I just had the chapters pre-written so all I really had to do was edit. Yay!

**DISCLAIMER: Look at the last 10 chapters.**

**PRUSSIA'S POV (A good 3 weeks later)**

Prussia pushed his eyelids open. It was total black, he couldn't see anything. But that was something he was slowly getting used to. What he wasn't used to was the feeling of the soft white sheet under his searching fingertips.

He felt his breath hitch. It terrified him. He didn't know where he was. He could still smell the anesthetic in the air, but he felt the sheets and there was a beeping next to him. Was it getting faster? He called out for the only thing that seems trustworthy.

"Romano?!" he called out, listening intently. "Romano! Romano, answer me!" he began to scream hysterically. "Romano!" he waited for the Italian's touch or a chorus of curse words to come his way. Nothing.

Something shifted next to him. "Romano?" his pale fingers searched for something, particularly the thing that moved. Strong hands grabbed his wrists. Strong calloused fingers had wrapped themselves around his wrists. It was gentle, but also firm. But they were also unknown.

He didn't know what to say or who it was. Panic swelled in his chest, clenching at his heart. His heart pounded, his breathing became ragged and uneven. He wanted to scream! Just scream and scream until someone came for him. Until someone saved him!

"Shhh.." a voice said. It sounded on the verge of tears. One of the hands left his wrist and wiped away the tears streaming down his face. Both actions seemed familiar but he couldn't place it. He felt himself slowly start to calm down. "It's me." the voice said. "Your little brother?" the last part was a question.

Prussia felt his breathing go down, the fear leaving. "L-Ludwig?" Pulling his hands from his brother's grasp, he placed them on either side of his face. Gently, he let his fingers travel across his brother's face, examining every feature; the shape of his eyes, the chapness of his lips, the straightness of his nose.

Then it clicked.

It really was him! A smile began to worm its way onto the Prussian's face. "West!" he cried. His pale fingers traveled faster, just to make sure it was real, that his brother really was there. "West! Oh my god, West!"

He pulled his brother down for a hug. It didn't matter where he was. All that mattered is that West was here. West was here and everything will be fine. Happy tears streamed out of his eyes. His fingers ran through Germany's hair, just to make sure he was still there. His shoulder was wet, right where his brother's head was. He was crying as well.

Germany tightened his grip, as if he was holding a priceless possession. He couldn't let go for fear it would disappear. Prussia winced slightly. "I-I c-can't breathe." Germany loosed his hold immediately. But it was loud and clear that he wasn't letting go anytime soon.

And that was fine by him.

**ROMANO'S POV**

Romano opened his eyes to find himself staring into a blindingly white light. He closed them again tightly, his breathing going a little haywire in fear. He waited; for the stabbing pain of a needle, injecting an unknown chemical into his blood, or maybe just a good ol' punch to face. He waited for what seemed like an eternity and a half.

He heard a door close nearby. Shoes were clicking against the hard floor. He tensed as they came closer, although that never made it hurt less. A cold finger touched his arm causing him to jump. There was a soft gasp as the shoes hurriedly clicked their way out of the room, going through the same door they came in.

Romano forced his eyes open again, making them adjust to the bright light over him. He saw tan walls, and speckled white tiled floors. He was sitting in a hospital bed, on white sheets and brown straps holding him down. The straps caused fear to well up. The black cell and white room, which was what he had grown used to: the black and white and the dark and lights. And pain.

He looked around wildly, looking for the albino that somehow became his friend. They cared for each other, not that they'll ever admit that. But he was someone the Italian has come to trust. And right now, he would trust him with his life.

He wiggled his fingers, finally noticing the plastic...thingy wrapped around it. There was a needle in his arm. Panic came flooding in. He knew the needle was there to help him. But that's what they told him the first time too. It's just giving you fluids! '_Stop __panicking__ dumbass!'_ he scolded himself, but it didn't seem to work.

He couldn't scream anymore. He had given them everything they asked for. What more do they want?! Wait.

He couldn't scream! Not for help, not out of fear or pain. The panic flooding through his veins increased tenfold, his heart beating out of his chest. He laid back down, slowly going back into his 'just accept it' state.

A flash of blue went by before a weight settled itself on his stomach. When did the door open? Slim arms wrapped themselves around him, crushing his lungs in a death grip. He looked down, attempting to push the thing off of him. It only shifted, forcing him to look into tear filled, honey brown eyes.

_Feli?_ "Fratello?" his brother asked. "So much hap-pened w-while you were gone." Italy whispered, his voice breaking as tears began to flow. "I-I thought y-you'd be gone forever." he said. "But I can't run our country by myself! And you're my fratello, you can't just leave!" he said. "I love you!"

Romano just combed his brother's hair soothingly, silently telling him to calm down. He's alive isn't he? "Th-the doctor said that they h-have experimental operations for you two." his brother said, his voice accented with hiccups.

"You'll be able to talk again." Romano felt happiness swell in his chest. He missed being able to talk, even if it's only been two days. He moved his hand to hug his brother, only remembering his restraints then. He jerked his arm up and down, silently asking why they were there.

"You had a few violent outbursts when they tried putting you down." Italy explained, his voice clearer. He started to ramble, just out of pure joy that his brother was back. Romano sat and willingly listened, for the exact same reason.

**Well, that ended abruptly. But I couldn't think of anything. And yes, neither of our captive really knows how long it's been since they were captured and saved. One last chapter!**


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